(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a method and suitable devices for supplying service information relating to viewed objects. In particular, this invention concerns a method and suitable devices for supplying a mobile user with service information relating to objects viewed by him.
(2) Description of Related Art
Known methods from the field of picture processing make it possible to recognize and identify objects from digital picture data that have been captured by means of suitable picture capturing means, for example by means of a digital photo or video camera or obtained through digitalization from an analog picture, which objects are contained in the pictures corresponding to the picture data. For example, letters and text consisting thereof can be recognized by means of OCR (Optical Character Recognition). Such known methods and devices suitable therefor are used predominantly as part of fixed-installed facilities and systems or can be used in a mobile way as part of mobile devices by users with manual operation, for instance in a hand scanner for text acquisition. It is often desirable, however, for mobile users to obtain information directly concerning objects viewed by them without having to carry out separate taking of pictures which are used for information acquisition only.
It is an object of this invention to propose a new and better method as well as devices suitable therefor which make it possible to supply a user during viewing of objects with service information relating to the objects viewed by him.
This object is achieved according to the present invention in particular through the elements of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments follow moreover from the dependent claims and from the description.
This object is achieved by the present invention in particular in that picture data for an object viewed by the mobile user are captured by means of picture capturing means borne by the user, at least certain of these picture data are made visible to the user by picture signals corresponding to these picture data being projected directly on the retina of the user, it being possible to process the picture data before they are made visible by emphasizing contours or increasing contrasts, for instance, and the user selects a picture segment from the picture data made visible, the picture segment being determined through eye positions of the user, picture segment data based on the selected picture segment are transmitted to a processing unit, which processing unit determines said service information based on said picture segment data, and said service information are reproduced for the user.
In an embodiment variant, the processing unit is located in a central unit and the picture segment data are transmitted to the processing unit in the central unit via a mobile radio network, for example a GSM or UMTS network or another, e.g. satellite-based, mobile radio network. This embodiment variant is above all advantageous if the processing of the picture segment data to obtain the service information is very complex and cannot be carried out efficiently locally at the user, e.g. because the mobile device necessary therefor would be too big and heavy and/or because the service information contains data that are not available locally at the user. The other way around, a processing unit situated locally in a mobile device at the user, has the advantage that no communications components have to be present in this device, that there is no dependence upon the external central unit, and no delay is caused by the communication with the external central unit.
It should be mentioned here that, in addition to the method according to the invention, the present invention also relates to a suitable central device and to a suitable mobile device.
In an embodiment variant, through a text recognition module in the mobile device, text information in a first language is derived from the selected picture segment and is forwarded as picture segment data to the processing unit (in the mobile device or in the central device), which processing unit translates this text information into service information with text information in a second language. In an alternative embodiment variant, the picture segment data are transmitted unchanged to the central unit with the picture data corresponding to the selected picture segment, and text information in a first language is derived therefrom by the processing unit, and this text information is translated into service information with text information in a second language. These embodiments have the advantage that the mobile user, who is located in a foreign country, for example, is able to have objects viewed by him with foreign-language text information provided therefor translated into his mother tongue without having thereby to consult manually paper-based or electronic translation aids.
In an embodiment variant, the processing unit (in the mobile device or in the central device) identifies at least one viewed object based on the picture segment data, and, based on this object identification, prepares service information including object information associated with this object. The advantage of this embodiment consists in that the mobile user, who is located in a museum, for example, or in a city with sights, is able to be supplied with identification and/or background information for objects viewed by him, for instance items on exhibit or historical structures, without his having to consult manually paper-based or electronic sources or having to keep prescribed routes.
In variants, which can be selected by the user, for instance, the service information is reproduced for the user in visible or audible form. The reproduction in audible form has in particular the advantage that user information can also be made available to a sight-impaired user, for example, which extends the application possibilities and the possibilities for use of the method according to the invention and of the mobile device according to the invention in a manifold way since it can be used as a seeing aid with acoustical information reproduction.